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<blockquote data-quote="Niccodaemus" data-source="post: 5700696" data-attributes="member: 6683506">Lots of good comments in this one. As someone who started playing D&amp;D before there were any computer RPGs, let me relate my experience.I was a magic user with 4 hit points. I was terrfied no only of goblins, which were quite alien to me (other than reading Tolkien, in which they were pretty much bad asses you wouldn't want to mess with) and pirates. There was a very real sense that with any swing of a weapon, I could be killed.Eventually, when I started DMing and became familiar with the monster manual, monsters became just a series of stats. HP, AC, Alignment. The game became more of an abstraction than an immersive theatrical experience.I'll just confirm what many posters have already said. Never describe monsters by their name unless is is a very recognizable race in your world, like orcs.The first time a peasant sees an orc, he would have no certain idea what he was facing. Few but rangers should be able to tell the difference between a hill giant and a mountain giant. The first giant you encounter would seem a LOT bigger than it actually was.Describe monsters in terms of physical traits, and if they can speak, let them! Taunting, threatening, pleading, what have you.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Niccodaemus, post: 5700696, member: 6683506"] Lots of good comments in this one. As someone who started playing D&D before there were any computer RPGs, let me relate my experience. I was a magic user with 4 hit points. I was terrfied no only of goblins, which were quite alien to me (other than reading Tolkien, in which they were pretty much bad asses you wouldn't want to mess with) and pirates. There was a very real sense that with any swing of a weapon, I could be killed. Eventually, when I started DMing and became familiar with the monster manual, monsters became just a series of stats. HP, AC, Alignment. The game became more of an abstraction than an immersive theatrical experience. I'll just confirm what many posters have already said. Never describe monsters by their name unless is is a very recognizable race in your world, like orcs. The first time a peasant sees an orc, he would have no certain idea what he was facing. Few but rangers should be able to tell the difference between a hill giant and a mountain giant. The first giant you encounter would seem a LOT bigger than it actually was. Describe monsters in terms of physical traits, and if they can speak, let them! Taunting, threatening, pleading, what have you. [/QUOTE]

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